Marble-shooter.



G. G. KENNEDY.

MARBLE SHOOTER. APPLICATION FILED OCT.23. i916. RENEWED JULY 26 I918.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

[Hz/anion GEORGE GOLVIN' KENNEDY, OF WATER/LOO, IOWA.

MARBLE-SHOOTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Application filed October 23, 1916, Serial No. 127,263. Renewed July 26, 1918. Serial No. 246,933.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE COLVIN KEN- NEDY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Waterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marble- Shooters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in marble shooters, and the object of my improvement is to supply means in such a device adapted to increase the accuracy of propulsion of the marble or projectile therefrom when the latter is delivered.

This invention is an improvement upon the marble shooter for which I have previously filed application for United States Letters-Patent, Serial No. 661, filed January 5, 1915.

The above object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved marble shooter; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof, with dotted lines indicating the position of the plunger head when drawn back under tension preparatory to propelling the marble; Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the forward part of said device; Fig. 4t and Fig. 5 are respectively, front and rear end elevations of said device; Fig. 6 represents the plungerhead as developed on a plane surface, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same when the respective members thereof are bent rearwardly.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

As shown, my improved marble shooter comprises an open-ended cylindrical tube 1 having projecting lateral integral longitudinally spaced projections, in longitudinal alinement, adapted for use as handles 2 and 4, said projections or handles, when the tube 1 is rotated to bring them upwardly, then serving as vertically extending sights. The forward and wider handle 2 has a fingergrip slot 3. The tube or barrel 1, with said projections, is preferably formed by stamping same from a plate of metal, then forming the barrel part into tubular shape, and

then clamping or fastening an overlapped tively long longitudinal slots or openings 8 of the same form and dimensions whose forward ends are squared and spaced a considerable distance from the forward end of the barrel.

A plungeuhead 11 is located within the bearing 1 and movable freely therethrough. Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, said plungerhead 11 is stamped from a flat plate of metal in cruciform shape, having the oppositely directed long rectangular members 9, and at right angles therewith, the short oppositelv directed rectangular members 12. A concave circular depression 14 is formed centrally in the forward face of the plungerhead 11. bent rearwardly at right angles to the middle or body-part 11. Openings 7 or any other desired engaging-means are located at opposite sides of the forward end of the barrel 1. The numeral 10 denotes elastic rub- All the members 9 and 12 are then her bands, of the endless type, placed on the opposite outer sides of the barrel 1, and secured within said openings 7. The rearwardly directed parts of said bands 10 are passed angularly into the slots 8 under tension, then looped about the short lateral projection or members 12 of the plunger-head 11 and said members then clamped over inwardly toward the rear face of the plungerhead, as shown in said Fig. 3, to securely prevent escape of the bands therefrom. The sides of the plunger-head where the mem- "bers 12 are bent back to hold the bands 10 swinging thereof and keep the plunger-head vertical and truly centered within the barrel, as shown by said Figs. 4: and 5.

The marble shooter may be used to effect a dropshot when the handles 2 and 4- are downwardly directed, or may be used for a rolling shot when said handles are vertically directed and employed as longitudinally arranged sights.

A marble 13 may be placed within the forward end of the barrel 1 and seated in the concavity 14 of the plunger -head, and then pushed rearwardly with said plunger-head far enough to permit of the marble being grasped between the thumb and a finger of one hand through the oppositely located openings 8. The marble is then pulled rear- Wardly a suflicient distance, as indicated by dotted lines in said Fig. 2, to place the rubber bands 10 under a requisite degree of tension. When the barrel has been sighted, the marble is simply released by removing said finger and thumb, and is then propelled swiftly and accurately forward by the reaction of the bands 10. It will be seen that since the guide members 9 keep the plungerhead exactly centered and free from lateral swinging movements, the two rubber bands 10 are always under equal tension which insures accuracy in shooting, while the concavity 14: of said plunger-head, properly centers the marble. It will also be observed that the plunger-head 11 is narrower than the diameter of the marble 13, so that when the marble is released by the finger and thumb, the aim is not destroyed by any contact of the plungenhead therewith. The contacts of the inturnedparts of the rubber bands with the forward squared ends of the slots causes the bands to act as resilient stops between the plunger-head and the barrel, whereby the projectile is discharged with a sudden delivery or snap, like the smart impulse afi 'orded by the propelling thumb when a marble is projected by hand, thus promoting accuracy in delivery.

It is to be understood that considerable variation may be made in the construction of said plunger-head and propelling means relative to materials, form, (lllTlBllSlOllS, and arrangement, without departing from the principle of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described, a tubular barrel having longitudinal slots in opposite sides, a plunger-head movable longitudinally within said barrel, formed of a body having members directed longitudinally, certain of said members serving as guides to prevent rocking of the plungerhead, the other members serving as engaging-means, and yieldable resilient propelling-means connected between said engaging-means and opposite parts of the said barrel.

2. In a device of the character described, a tubular barrel having longitudinal slots on opposite sides, a plunger-head in said barrel adapted to move therein longitudinally and having side-ears opposite said slots, and elastic-bands connected to the forward end of said barrel. on opposite sides in advance of said slots, the bands having loops passed about said ears, and the ears serving to spread the loops apart in front of the plunger-head to admit fingers of the user through the loops intothe barrel.

3. In adevice of the character described, a tubular barrel having logitudinal slots in its opposite sides, a plunger-head movable longitudinally in said barrel, elastic bands connected to the forward end of the barrel on each side, passed through said slots and connected to opposite sides of said plungerhead, the plunger-head being spaced on the sides from the interior wall of the barrel, the forward ends of said slots being spaced away from the forward end of the barrel enough to keep the elastic bands under tension when the plunger-head is in its forward position, and said bands adapted to engage the forward ends of the walls of said slots after being placed under additional tension and then released to act as resilient stops between the plunger-head and the barrel at the discharge of a projectile by the plungerhead.

Signed at Vaterloo, Iowa, this 21st day of October, 1916.

GEORGE COLVIN KENNEDY.

l/Vitnesses PEARL M. STANTON, CHAS. C. LINDNER.

Copiesofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissiioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0'. 

